Universal bottle capping throat



Feb. 4, 1969 e. A. BROETZLER UNIVERSAL BOTTLE CAPPING THROAT Filed March 5, 1965 INVENTOR GUSTAV A. BROETZLER BY I J"? '5 02 W A T RN United States Patent 3,425 187 UNIVERSAL BOTTLE CAPPING THROAT Gustav A. Broetzler, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Coca-Cola Bottling Works Company, a corporation of hro Filed Mar. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 437,387 U.S. Cl. 53-344 Claims Int. Cl. B65b 7/28; B67b 3/02 The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for the capping of bottles with metallic crown caps of the type ordinarily utilized in closing beverage bottles. In the industry, the caps are commonly referred to as crowns, and the apparatus for applying them to bottles is known as a crowner. The crowns are formed from sheet metal discs or blanks crimped about the perimeter and formed as circular cups, each cup being provided with an interior concentric sealing disc to overlie the mouth of a bottle and thereby seal in the contents of the bottle.

The crown is attached to the bottle by deforming and contracting the crimped perimeter of the crown about the locking ring of the bottle, for frictionally holding the crown in position thereon. The locking ring of a bottle consists of an annular circumferential enlargement at the bottle mouth, standardized as to its shape and dimensions on all bottles used for a particular purpose. The locking ring formed on the bottle is generally strengthened by an annular reinforcing ring formed adjacent to and beneath the locking ring, in the maufacture of the bottle.

The crowns for capping the bottles were at one time standardized as to depth, the gauge of metal employed, the initial diameter of the blank, and the thickness of the sealing disc associated therewith. Accordingly, the crowning apparatus was standardized to the standard cap char acteristics, and was dependable to properly apply caps to the bottles until the crowning apparatus failed due to dimensional changes occurring in the essential parts as the result of wear or breakage. Now, however, crowns of a less costly nature are available, differing from the originally standardized crowns in the thinner gauge of metal used in manufacture, the smaller size of the blank employed in forming the crown, the shallower depth of the crown, and the lesser thickness of the sealing disc incorporated in the crown.

The aforesaid changes made in the crown have led to necessary changes in the crowning apparatus used by :bottle-rs in properly applying the crowns to bottles. At present, crowns of three basic types are available, known as the full skirt type, the shallow skirt type, and the intermediate skirt type, any of which may be applied to the locking ring of a standard bottle. To properly apply the three types of crowns, it is necessary to equip the crowning apparatus with three alternative types of throat assemblies gauged to the three types of crownstavailable. Each type of crown to be properly applied to standard bottles, requires the use of a diiferently dimensioned throat assembly in the crowning apparatus. Accordingly, the bottler finds it necessary, when changing from one type of crown to another, to shut down the operation of the crowning apparatus in order to effect a substitution of throat assemblies. The substitution of throat assemblies may involve a time loss of one or two hours, and the idling of about ten men employed normally to operate the bottling line.

An object of the invention is to obviate the time and labor losses above mentioned, and to provide for uninterrupted operation of the bottling line when changing from one type of crown to the other.

Another object of the invention is to make possible the uninterrupted operation of the crowning apparatus, even though an intcrmixing of the diiferent types of crowns may occur within the crown feed mechanism or the crown feed hopper of the crowning apparatus.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved throat assembly for crowning apparatus, which will operate to properly apply to standard bottles, any of the several different types of crowns aforesaid, without requiring mechanical changes in the crowning apparatus and without interruption of the bottling procedure.

The foregoing and other objects are attained by the means described herein and as illustrated upon the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is vertical cross-sectional view of the crowning head of an automatic bottle capper, showing a bottle in position for application of a crown.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the crowning head lowered onto the bottle to complete the application of a crown to the bottle.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing in alternation, a standard crown and a shallow crown applied to a bottle.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the improved throat element of the invention, at an initial stage of the bottle crowning operation.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing the bottle crowning operation at an advanced stage.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

In all of the drawing views, a glass bottle 10 is illustrated, having a standard annular locking ring 12 and an annular subjacent reinforcing ring 14. The locking ring is formed to standard specifications recognized in the industry, and is quite accurate as to dimensions and configuration. The standard crown shown at 16 in FIG. 3, and the shallow crown shown at 18, can be applied to the standard locking ring 12 of the bottle. The standard crown 16, being deeper than the shallow crown, more completely envelops the locking ring and accommodates a thicker sealing disc 20, for maximum sealing effective ness. The sealing disc 22 of the shallow crown 18 is preferably of thin material, such as plastic or treated paper, in order to ensure that the lower edge of crimped skirt 24 may depend sufficiently to embrace the locking ring 12. The standard crown, with its deep skirt and thick sealing disc 20 usually of cork, affords the more lasting and dependable closure.

The automatic capping machine comprises usually a number of crowning heads 26, arranged in circle formation upon a wheel 28 which rotates to bring the heads into register with bottles fed in succession upon a conveyor. When a head is in register with a bottle mouth (FIG. 1), a cam wheel 30 following an overhead undulatory track, is depressed to lower the head, as in FIG. 2, to crown the bottle. The bottle having been crowned, head 26 returns to the elevated position for releasing the crowned bottle, and stands ready to crown a succeeding bottle. The crowning operation is rapid and continuous, as crowns are fed automatically and in rapid succession from a hopper to the crown rest 32 of the head.

The crown rest 32 has a flared mouth 34 which orients the bottle top with a cap 18 (or 16) supported by the crown rest, this orientation taking place as the crown rest lowers about the neck of the bottle concurrently with lowering of the head 26. Continued lowering of the head causes a throat element 36 to descend about the crown now atop the locking ring of the bottle, to enforce entry of the crown and the upper end of the bottle into the throat element (FIG. 2). As the throat element descends, it wipes and contracts the crimps of the crown skirt about the locking ring, to apply the crown to the bottle in accordance with FIG. 3. A yieldingly retractible plunger 38 within the head presses down upon the crown during descent of the throat element, and assists in releasing the crowned top of the bottle from the throat element as the latter returns to elevated position with the head.

The throat element 36, best illustrated by FIGS. 4, and 6, may be a hardened steel laterally expandable collar constituted of a plurality of identical circle segments 40, 42, 44, 46, accurately fitted to one another and held in circular arrangement by a resilient band or spring 48 embracing all the segments. The assembled throat element has a central opening 50 accurately dimensioned to receive the crown and distort the crimped skirt thereof, with just sufficient force to embrace the locking ring for establishing a tight seal without crushing the bottle at the locking ring. If the threat opening is too large, the bottle may emerge with a loose crown subject to leakage. On the other hand, a throat which fits the crown too tightly, may cause bottle breakage or rapid wear of the throat element, necessitating frequent replacement.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that crowns which are not uniform as to size or metal thickness, may produce loose seals, bottle breakage, or excessive wearing of machine parts as above stated, unless the lack of uniformity of the crowns is compensated for in the throat element.

To compensate for the lack of uniformity characterizing the standard, intermediate and the shallow skirt type crowns, the open chamber or throat 50 of the throat element is provided with a slight taper outwardly from the upper end 52 to the lower end 54 thereof, the lower end being the end at which the crown enters the throat for sealing. It has been discovered that the degree of taper is very critical if proper crowning and sealing are to be attained with an acceptable degree of excellence. The critical dimensions are: 1.112 inches at the tope of the throat, and 1.117 inches at the bottom or entry end of the throat, measured diametrally, for a throat length of 5 inch. The entry end of the throat may be provided with a radius of .046 inch as shown, not included in the taper.

If the throat lacks the outward taper from top to bottom, it will accommodate with propriety only one of the three basic types of crown hereinbefore mentioned. Accordingly, any change in the bottling procedure involving use of a different type crown, will then necessitate shutting down the capping machine and substituting one throat element for another, with a resultant substantial loss of production and man-hours. Moreover, should the crown feed or the crown hopper contain a mixture of different crown types, operation of the capping machinery will be erratic and highly unsatisfactory from the standpoint of uniformity of crowning and sealing a succession of bottles.

Heretofore the internal diameter of a throat for use with a standard crown was a uniform 1.120 inches throughout its entire length; and the throat opening for a shallow crown was a uniform 1.110.

It a standard crown was applied with a throat designed to apply shallow crowns the resultant crimp applied to the standard crown would be too tight and the bottle would in most instances be damaged.

Conversely, if a shallow crown was applied with a throat designed to apply standard crowns the resultant crimp applied to the shallow crown would be too loose to properly seal the bottle.

I have ascertained that a universal throat capable of effectively and properly applying standard, intermediate and shallow crowns will result by tapering the internal bore of the throat from a maximum lower diameter of .003 inch less than the diameter of the throat for standard crowns only, to a minimum upper diameter of .002 inch greater than the diameter of the throat for shallow crowns.

When using such a universal throat all types of crowns, whether standard, intermediate or shallow may be effectively and properly applied to the locking ring of a bottle.

A further advantage which flows from the use of my universal throat is that it is no longer necessary to change or readjust the height of the crowner for different throats.

By utilizing the tapered throat as specified, the bottler may employ indiscriminately the standard, the shallow skirt, or the intermediate skirt type crowns, without alteration of the capping machine or interruption of its operation. The savings of time and labor thereby effected are substantial, and will certainly be reflected as a profit gain in the bottling operation.

In practice, the throat element as unified by the resilient band 48, may include an exterior conical wall surface 58 which is tapered outwardly from top to bottom of the throat element. The conical surface may fit accurately within the correspondingly tapered bore of a collar or outer retainer 60, FIG. 2. Retainer 60, like the throat element 36, may be constituted of a plurality of segmental parts yieldingly held in circular formation by a resilient band or circular spring 62. A powerful helical spring 64 encircles and snugly embraces the segments of retainer 60. The entire assembly constituting the parts 36, 62, and 64, may be held in place at the lower end of the crowning head, by means of a retaining nut 66.

It will be noted that any tendency of throat element 36 to shift upwardly relative to retainer 60, causes the tapered surfaces of these parts to act upon element 36 to radially contract the segments 40, 42, 44, 46. This contraction of the throat element 36 takes place the instant a crown such as 18, FIG. 1, contacts the lower end of the throat element preparatory to entry of the crown. Thus as a crown begins to enter the throat of element 36, the specified diametral dimension of the throat is automatically established and remains fixed so long as the crowning head moves downwardly.

Upon reversal of the crowning head movement, in the upward direction, the cramping pressure of the tapers of parts 36 and 60 is relieved, and part or element 36 may be shifted slightly downwardly relative to tapered part 60, due to the action of plunger 38 depressing the applied crown. Such slight downward shifting of throat element 36 permits radial expansion of its segments 40, 42, 44, 46, to relieve lateral pressure against the crimps of the applied crown, which results in release of the crown for easy withdrawal from throat element 36.

The mechanism of the crowning head shown above the throat element 36, may comprise a tubular crowning head housing 68 integral with cam roller bracket 70, the housing being vertically slidable relative to wheel 28. Within housing 68 is a compensating throat sleeve assembly 72, which upon downward movement of the crowning head, is locked to housing 68. When the crowning head housing 68 pushes down on the compensating latch rings 74, the rings in turn push down on the compensating latches 76 which are pivoted to sleeve 72 by latch studs 78.

As the latches move downwardly, the sleeve 72 moves therewith, lowering the throat assembly including element 36, and the crown rest 32. The sleeve 72 also advances against plunger spring 80 which exerts a downward pressure on plunger 38.

As the crowning head assembly continues its downward movement, crown 18 (or 16) is placed over the bottle mouth and is contacted by plunger 38. Since the downward movement of plunger 38 is thereby stopped by contact with the crown, and the remainder of the head continues to descend, the compensating sleeve 72 compresses plunger spring 80. This spring exerts pressure upon the plunger, affording the initial sealing pressure which seals the sealing disc onto the locking ring of the bottle. As the crowning head descends further, the throat element 36 crimps the crown onto the bottle. Then, the shoulder 82 on plunger 38 spreads the latches 76, to disengage the V-groove of ring 74 and release sleeve 72 from housing 68. The housing completes its downward movement while the throat assembly remains stationary, with the relatively light spring 84 exerting force upon the top of the crown.

As the crowning head starts upwardly, spring 84 pushes the plunger 38 downward to displace the crowned and sealed 'bottle from the expanded throat element 36. The remaining parts of the crowning head then return to original position in readiness for crowning a subsequent bottle.

What is claimed is:

1. A universal bottle capping throat for use with and adapting the head of a crowner for use with either standard, intermediate or shallow crowns, said throat comprising a body portion having an opening therethrough which tapers uniformly from a maximum to a minimum diametrical dimension at the entry end thereof diametrical dimension at the top end thereof wherein said maximum diametrical dimension is .003 inch less and said minimum diametrical dimension is .002 inch greater than the respective diametrical dimensions of bottle capping throats for standard and shallow crowns, respectively, and wherein the axial spacing between said entry and top ends is inch.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the throat element comprises a plurality of circle segments radially displaceable outwardly from the axis of the throat, and means operative upon said segments for yieldingly opposing outward displacement thereof from the throat axis, to normally maintain the diametric throat measurements aforesaid.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a bottle capping throat element for securing to the locking ring of a bottle a cup-shaped crown having a crimped skirt surrounding a sealing disc, which skirt and disc in different crowns may vary as to their dimensions, said throat element comprising: a body having a coniform tapered axial throat, said throat having a forward open entry end and a rear end spaced from one another a distance approximating inch; the throat diameter at the entry end being 1.117 inches, and at the rear end 1.112 inches.

4. The article as set forth in claim 3, wherein the body of the throat element comprises a plurality of segmental parts displaceable radially outwardly from the axis of the throat, and means operative upon said parts for yieldin-gly opposing said outward displacement, to normally maintain the diametric throat measurements aforesaid.

5. A universal bottle capping throat for adapting the head of a crowner for use with standard, intermediate or shallow crowns, said throat comprising a body having an opening therethrough which tapers uniformly from a diametrical dimension of substantially 1.117 inches at the entry end of the throat to a diametrical dimension of substantially 1.112 inches at the top of the throat and wherein the axial spacing between the said diametrical dimensions is substantially 1 inch.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 967,614 8/1910 Conrad 53-344 1,080,046 12/1913 Butkus 53-344 RICHARD H. EANES, JR., Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Certificate of Correction Patent No. 3,425,187 February 4, 1969 Gustav A. Broetzler It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below.

In the drawings, add the following figures:

Feb. 4, 1969 G A. EIROETZLER UNIVERSAL BOTTLE CAFPINQ THROAT Sheet 3 012 Filed March 5. 1965 IYVENTUR. GUSTAV A. BROETZLER W ATTORNEY,

Signed and sealed this 17th day of March 1970.

[SEAL] Attest WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.,

EDWARD M. FLETCHER, JIL, Attestz'ng Ofiicer.

Commissioner 0 f Patents. 

1. A UNIVERSAL BOTTLE CAPPING THROAT FOR USE WITH THE ADAPTING THE HEAD OF A CROWNER FOR USE WITH EITHER STANDARD, INTERMEDIATE OR SHALLOW CROWNS, SAID THROAT COMPRISING A BODY PORTION HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH WHICH TAPERS UNIFORMLY FROM A MAXIMUM TO A MINIMUM DIAMETRICAL DIMENSION AT THE ENTRY END THEREOF DIAMETRICAL DIMENSION AT THE TOP END THEREOF WHEREIN SAID MAXIMUM DIAMETRICAL DIMENSION IS .003 INCH LESS AND SAID MINIMUM DIAMETRICAL DIMENSION IS .002 INCH GREATER THAN THE RESPECTIVEL DIAMETRICAL DIMENSIONS OF BOTTLE CAPPING THROATS FOR STANDARD AND SHALLOW CROWNS, RESPECTIVELY, AND WHEREIN THE AXIAL SPACING BETWEEN SAID ENTRY AND TOP ENDS IS 13/16 INCH. 